Hagel

I often disagree with Powerline, but there is one issue on which I agree with them completely: their unmitigated disdain for Sen. Chuck Hagel, a politician of whom it could be fairly said that his every act and pronouncement ranges somewhere between the worthless and the egregious.

Scott at Powerline writes:

Is there a market for Chuck Hagel as a presidential candidate in the Republican Party? Short answer: No. Is there some scenario under which he could become a plausible candidate for president in the Republican Party? Short answer: No. Why then is he expected to announce his candidacy this coming Monday? To quote another man who I think would make a more plausible Republican presidential candidate: “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.”

Despite his impressive biography, I don’t think one can even postulate an interest in his selection as a vice presidential candidate as the reason for his candidacy. He would be as likely to subtract support from the Republican ticket as add to it. I do think his candidacy sets the stage for the perfect bipartisan debate—one between Hagel and Chris Dodd—following which we could take a poll on who more enjoys listening to the sound of his own voice. It is the only poll I can think of that Hagel might win.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 10, 2007 11:51 AM | Send